


Long Live the Shredder

by ColorInPlatinum



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (IDW Comics), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Episode: s03e21 Same As It Never Was, Pre-Same As It Never Was, shredder bebop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-28 20:40:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7655938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColorInPlatinum/pseuds/ColorInPlatinum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>the foot clan is really like a monarchy. should the shredder ever die, his crown would be passed to his apprentice or next of kin. should they die, the crown would go to the head of combat training. the list goes on, but an awful disaster can put someone frightened and unprepared on the throne with no other choice but to accept the burden of the shredder's helm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Long Live the Shredder

**Author's Note:**

> taking a break from "the bad old days". 
> 
> inspired by some stuff from my bebop roleplay blog

"ROCK!"

Gunshots fill the room, overpowered only by Bebop's yelling. The rhino on the other side of the room pokes his head up from the mass of resistance soldiers and shouts back, "YEAH, BEEBS?"

"They're stormin' the temple! I'll hold 'em off out here!"

Rocksteady nods and roars, sending soldiers flying before he charges up to the temple.

The war has been going on for fifteen years now, and the two of them remain loyal as ever to the Shredder. All they have to do is squash a few resistance bugs here and there and their paychecks get fatter with every ounce of blood spilled.

But these resistance bugs have become a resistance swarm, and right now they're trying to storm the Shredder's temple. They won't succeed of course, the place is fortified like no one's business. BUt there's so many soldiers, they're being overrun.

In the middle of smashing some guy's head in, an enormous explosion rocks the ground behind Bebop. He turns to find the entire temple in flames.

Mission be damned, he rushes inside, screaming for Rocksteady, and when he finally finds the big bastard, all that's left is a burning corpse.

By dawn, the Foot Clan has recovered. The body count is staggering, but the resistance lot far more. However, among the casualties are Karai, Rocksteady, and the Shredder himself.

Bebop has been barricaded in the medical bay of their military base on the other side of town, hooked up to an oxygen pump until his lungs stop burning from the smoke he inhaled while looking for Rocksteady. He hates being benched like that, but he knows it's for the best.

And then one of the Foot Ninja comes in, mask off and looking far more respectful than most would in his presence.

"Anton Zeck--" There's his first red flag; no one calls him by his real name. They haven't in over thirty years. "--I must speak with you in regards to the Shredder."

"Guy's dead. Jut find a new one." he says shortly. The ninja can't see it, but Bebop's eyes are trained on his phone, the lockscreen holding a photo that captured Rocksteady's last smile.

"That is... actually what I must discuss."

That gets his attention. Bebop sits up in his bed, his gaze finally focused on the speaker.

"The Foot Clan uses a system not unlike a monarchy. If the king dies, the crown goes to his queen. The Shredder did not have a wife, and his daughter was killed in the attack." Bebop impatiently, motioning for the guy to get a move on. "General Steranko--Rocksteady--he would have been next in line. His military training and experience with weapons ranked him just slightly above you in the line up. But since he is gone--"

Bebop nearly jumps out of the bed, ripping his oxygen mask off. "No. No way I'm doin' it."

"But sir--!"

"Cut that 'sir' crap! I ain't no leader! Get the next guy to do it!" he demands, ignoring his burning lungs.

"We can't! The Foot Clan's code forbids it."

"Then get a new code!"

There's a moment of silence between them, Bebop's breath heavy from the lack of clean air and his anger, before the ninja speaks.

"The code states that we cannot crown a new Shredder until the current one is dethroned by a challenger or dies."

Bebop wants to argue, he really does, but with all the gangs he's been in, this code isn't unfamiliar. Considering the world about him, being usurped is unlikely, and he's not one to go one suicide missions just to get out of duties. But he's not a leader, he's never been. He and Rocksteady did the henchmen thing for a reason: they're good at what they do, and what they do is hench.

They don't lead.

They didn't lead.

"Yeah, okay." Bebop finally says. "I'll do it."

* * *

It's a week of preparation before they officially crown him.

The unveil his armor in private, of course, but putting it on is almost ceremonious. The armor glimmers, the cape flutters. He insisted that the top half, the part which drapes over his neck, be purple, a piece of himself under this new guise. He doesn't shave off his mohawk, but he stops gelling it up and starts gelling it back, leaving him with an almost sophisticated look.

He clasps the rest of his armor on, and two other ninja approach him to slip his cape onto his spiked shoulder pads. The helmet will come later; it's far more symbolic than the armor itself.

Hundreds of Foot Ninja, young and old, are laid before him. They stand in front of the remains of the ruined temple, surrounded by lanterns and paintings and banners with writing on them Bebop doesn't understand. He swallows thickly when his new second-in-command begins speaking, all in Japanese of course.

He knows what the vows are, but for symbolism and tradition, they must be spoken in Japanese; he answers, "Hai." when prompted.

Lowering that helmet onto his head feels just as deadly as sleeping with your neck under a guillotine. He feels a shiver run down his spine when the helm is in place. The front of it had to be modified to accommodate his snout, but it's the same piece, the same metal, tempered with the blood of hundreds of dead men and mutants. He feels the shadow covering his eyes when the helm is complete, and he's sure the shadow makes his yellow eyes seem to glow.

Bye-bye shutter shades.

He stands and that armor feels a million times heavier with the helmet, but he was told to speak to the clan once he was officially named. He spent all week trying to work out a speech that would make him seem a worthy leader.

"The Foot Clan, to me, is more than just a gang." he begins. "To me, it is a family. A home. A place where I feel safe sleeping at night." He's shaking like a leaf and he really hopes his cape masks it. "But recently, we suffered severe loss; Oroku Saki, the man we all came to know and love and serve as the Shredder was killed in a brutal attack by the resistance forces. Not only that, but his daughter, who rightfully should be where I am, and my close friend were killed." The shaking stops. He swears he can feel Rocksteady's hand on his shoulder, hear his voice in his ear:

_"Speak from your heart, Beebs."_

Bebop snorts, which likely sounds terrifying through the filter in his mask, and steps forward, slamming his foot down before him.

"These resistance dogs will pay!" he spits. "Our siege upon the world has only just begun and it will end with their leader's head on my wall! They murdered our father, they harmed our family, and they took those closest to us away!" The crowd is beginning to stir and he feels confidence replace anxiety.

"I WILL NOT **REST** UNTIL _**VENGEANCE IS OURS**_!"

They roar with glee. His hackles are standing up and he notices for the first time that his armor allows for the purple mane to show through. He grins beneath his mask and for a moment, it feels right to wear it.

Though he was instructed to keep his cool, instinct takes over and he lets out a roar that joins the dissonance of the cheering.

Long live the Shredder. Long live the Foot Clan. Death to the resistance.

It feels good to be in charge.


End file.
